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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29684478">Quarantine</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/DiaHonkers/pseuds/DiaHonkers'>DiaHonkers</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood &amp; Manga</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Doctors &amp; Physicians, Gen, Hospitals, I Could've Made This Longer But My Attention Span Dissapeared, I'm sorry if it's terrible, Isolation, Loneliness, Mentioned Once Not Very Big, Needles, Post-Canon, Post-Promised Day, Quarantine, Recovery, Sibling Love, no beta we die like men, vent fic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 01:27:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,459</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29684478</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/DiaHonkers/pseuds/DiaHonkers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"The same four walls had surrounded him for the past two weeks. Years of his life had led up to the moment he got his body back. He was overcome with joy when he woke up and could feel his brother’s arms - both flesh, warm arms - envelop him in a hug." </p><p>Or</p><p>After the promised day, Alphonse Elric is put in a room by himself to prevent him from getting sick.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alphonse Elric &amp; Edward Elric</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Quarantine</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The same four walls had surrounded him for the past two weeks. Years of his life had led up to the moment he got his body back. He was overcome with joy when he woke up and could </span>
  <em>
    <span>feel </span>
  </em>
  <span>his brother’s arms - both flesh, warm arms - envelop him in a hug. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’d taken that moment for granted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course, he was still incredibly grateful for the fact that he can feel again. The feeling of his legs covered by the light hospital bedding may have been sending his senses into overdrive a bit, but he was managing. After all, he’d take sensory overload over having no senses any day. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Al flipped the page of his book before sighing and putting it atop the heap of books he’d been given. He glanced to his left towards the large window that shut him off from the rest of the world. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Years of withering away in the void left his body’s immune system practically nonexistent. Even the common cold could cause severe respiratory problems. After the promised day, doctors quickly swept him away from his brother and placed him in a negative pressure room. He’d understood why, but it didn’t make it much better.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mr.Elric?” A voice echoed through the room, snapping him out of his trance, “We’re going to check your vitals now,” She said as another nurse entered the room with two pairs of white gowns. They slipped on hairnets, gloves, and masks before swiftly entering the room to prevent any germs from coming in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They poked and prodded at his arms, injecting vitamins and drawing blood. They made him breathe in and out, took his pulse, and made sure that he was improving. As they waited for results, they helped him to the bathroom. They helped bathe him and take care of daily necessities that he was too weak to do on his own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Exiting the bathroom, the nurse headed over to where the tests sat. She inspected them and smiled. “You seem to be making improvements Mr.Elric,” her smile made his heart fill with warmth. It wasn’t with attraction or affection, he was just overjoyed with the results and the fact that she was happy to see him improving.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How much longer will I be in here?” He asked</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Judging by the results, it may be a few more weeks,” she looked at him with a hint of sympathy in her eyes. Al nodded and looked at the bedding beneath him. He just wanted to breathe some fresh air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The nurses left him be and he was left alone once more. He glanced out the window and gazed at the green grass of the courtyard. Smoke and dust rose in the distance from construction. The city was ruined from the battle just a few weeks ago. The hospital had been overflowing with patients. Some were minor scrapes and bruises while others were impaled and needing immediate attention. Luckily, the rooms soon emptied and the doctors got to take a breath of fresh air.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I hope brother’s doing well…”</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought. His brother had gone under surgery to remove all the metal they could possibly remove from his arm. He was discharged (much against his will) and came back every other day for physical therapy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let me go!” a familiar voice shouted from the hall. Al turned his attention to the door and as if on cue, his brother busted through the door, two doctors trying to hold him back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Brother!” Al shouted, coughing from the lack of use of his voice. Ed turned to his younger brother and a familiar smirk appeared on his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Oh no.'</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Ed managed to snatch an extra gown hanging on the wall and made it to the cabinet where the safety equipment was kept. He dodged the doctor’s attempts to grab him as he equipped the equipment needed to enter the room. With one final push, he snatched open the door and bolted inside, slamming it behind him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmph!” his brother folded his arms triumphantly. The doctors looked in horror through the window, reluctant to enter the room without the proper equipment in order to force him out of the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Major Elric! Leave the room immediately! You’re putting your brother in danger!” One of the doctors yelled with a stern voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not going anywhere. I’ve waited years for this moment, but I haven’t gotten a single chance to be with my brother! It’s so infuriating! Besides, have you even paid a single mind to how lonely Al must be feeling!?” Ed exclaimed, gesturing to his brother.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Al straightened his boney form in surprise, his eyes wide in disbelief at what his brother was saying.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘He noticed?’</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>His brother was completely right. It’s been excruciating to be so alone. It was no different from the nights he spent awake at night, physically unable to sleep. Now, he was able to sleep but just couldn’t fade off into slumber. He was too fixated on the pain that pooled in his chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He knew it was to keep him safe from viruses and disease. He knew that he would be in extreme danger if he fell sick. He knew that one day it would all be over, but those days felt so distant. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could take being alone. It </span>
  <em>
    <span>hurt. It hurt so much.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please,” Al whimpered under his breath. “Let him stay,” he gripped his sheets until his knuckles turned white and squeezed his eyes shut.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>For the love of God, please let him stay.’</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The doctor in charge of Al’s case stared at him through the glass and swallowed. She turned towards the others in the room with a concerned look on her face. They all returned the same expression, not knowing what to do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After some contemplating, the doctor sighed. “You’ll have to be disinfected immediately and go through testing to make sure you don’t carry anything that you could spread to your brother.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ed’s eyes gleamed with pride, “Deal!” he said triumphantly. He turned to his brother and smiled with the expression Al was so accustomed to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Al struggled to hold back tears. His recovery would be so much less excruciating with his brother by his side. He wouldn’t be lonely anymore and he’d finally have a support to comfort him when he struggled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The doctors entered the room with their safety equipment and swiftly ushered the elder Elric to the bathroom to prepare to disinfect him. Al watched them with a small smile on his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>How did he get so lucky to have someone do anything for him? His brother was going to have to go through various tests just to be beside him and was happy to do so without reluctance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mr.Elric?” The lead doctor spoke softly. Al turned her attention towards her. She looked ashamed. “I’d just like to apologize…” she trailed off, “Our team had been so focused on your recovery physically that we neglected your mental health. As your doctor and the head of your treatment, I should have noticed this and made sure to pay mind to your mentality.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Al looked at her surprised. “It’s not your fault,” he smiled sweetly, “I’m thankful for all your help. I can tell you’ve been working hard,” he eyed the dark circles under her blue eyes, “You’ve never had to treat someone like me and we haven’t been able to fully disclose the reasoning behind my condition. It must be hard to know what to do. Thank you,” he tried to be as sincere as possible. Words could not depict the amount of gratefulness he felt towards his team.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The doctor repressed the urge to hug him, opting to shake his hand instead, “I’m just doing my job, Mr.Elric. I truly want to see you recover. You’ve been so strong,” Al was once again rendered to near tears, “I’ll make sure that we get your brother safe to be around you,” she said with a final smile before heading to the bathroom to help with his brother.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Al finally let the tears roll down his face as the doctor closed the door. The warmth in his chest was indescribable. He hadn’t be so happy in so long. All he’d wanted since he’d lost his body was to just hug his brother. He just wanted to keep him close to him and never let him go. He’s lost so much in his life, if he’d lost Ed too, he doesn’t know if he’d be able to handle it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Al laughed to himself as he heard commotion from the bathroom, presumably giving the doctors a problem with whatever they were trying to do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He couldn’t be happier.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I've had this idea since before quarantine based on a headcanon I saw, but I randomly decided today that I'd go through with it. I've been really struggling with quarantine - I've left my house 3 times since March - so I thought I'd write this because I can understand how Al would be feeling. I'm also kind of projecting.</p><p>I sincerely hope you've enjoyed! Kudos and comments are extremely appreciated! If you liked this work, please check out my other story, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/17313560/chapters/40726034">The Bond We Share!</a></p><p>If you've read my other fic, I now have <a href="https://discord.gg/AKHuNYgx84">a discord server!</a></p><p>for it! Even if you haven't read my other fic, feel free to join! It doubles as a FMA general server! There are so many nice people there who'd love to talk about the series with you - myself included!</p><p>Once again, thank you so much for reading. Stay safe!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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